Prevalence of recurrent nerve injury among esophageal cancer patients undergoing esophagectomy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT: Esophageal cancer remains a major cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, and esophagectomy is a primary curative treatment for localized disease. However, recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury is a common and impactful complication that can impair vocal cord function, increase aspiration risk, and hinder postoperative recovery. To quantify its prevalence and explore contributing factors, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis including 24 studies and 6015 patients. The overall pooled prevalence of RLN injury was 18.36 % (95 % CI, 11.50 %-28.00 %), with substantial heterogeneity (I² = 95.8 %). Subgroup analysis revealed a lower pooled prevalence in robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) at 13.39 % (95 % CI, 9.28 %-18.95 %) compared to 21.89 % (

SUBMITTER: Satapathy P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12282457 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature